Latch and keeper combination



March 13, 1945.

W. A. ENDTER LATCH AND KEEPER COMBINATION 0;iginal Filed Sept. 11 1940ESE l I l I l I l I I I III WALDEMAR A. ENDTER INVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented Mar. 13, 1945 2,371,386 g LATCH mnkiierniiooiviiimlirroiv Vvwamemvanimator, [long lieutenant. I Application September 11, lQQO SeriaI No. 356,224,

which is "a division of ap lication Serial vNo.

106,243,0etober .17, 1936. .l iviaedansthi's a lici'stiori'Fcil'iriia'"yis, 1944;5eria1 No.521,492

- 7- Cl'aims. (c1. 29.2 am" invention pertains generally to {latchmechanisms of the rotary or pivoted bolt type in which the boltelementis urged by cam means into latching association with a keeper. vThe,presentapplication is saldivision of mycmpend- .ing application ,Ser.No 3'56,274, file'clISeptember 11, .1940, now Batent Number 12,342,843,dated February 29, [1944; on Rotary latch with multiple xengagingmeans,thelatter application being a division of an earlier application'ser No;106,243,

lQiQ, on Door latch. M V I p The =present latch mechanism is generallyadaptable for releasably. securing together two relatively movablemembers, without limitation as to the particular form ,crlenvironment-ofsuch members. The invention [has in common with new Patent vNo.2,224,512, issued Decemberl0,

tron illustrative of the embo iment shown-.in'the accompanyingdrawing,.snd in which: 1

;Fig.11 is aview showingthe'parts"-in=un1atched position, parts'of thecase and'keeper sppeermg ill. Se'CtiOIl;

Fig. 2 is a similarvlew showing thejiarts at .substantially the trippingposition not the cam,

the case structure appearing elevation; and Fig, 3 isa view.showingtheilatohed condition ofthe parts and 'the1keepe'r structure inelevaf ihe latch mechanism is shown to be applied toapeir of members l0and H movable relatively together from the position of Fig. 1 to that orFig.3; Attached to member 11 is a'keepe'r struct re which may a consistor a plate I?" having pi iq eoting portions l3 and M forming respecl'yahearing' surface is and a bolt ,eiigageable fkee er.f"The keeperproper, preferably :is inclimed at i send m y be turned reversely at itsupper. end, a at n; If desired, the interior or thekeeper maybe, closedby a troll It, see :Fis.

latched association with the keeper and, until manually released,maintains sthe bolt-in such association. I

mechanism of this type in which the bolt has ,a -\dual action :andeifect in maintaining latched .relationbetween-the members not -only byreason .of the association of theIbolt with thekeeperen eased by theholt but also by virtufof'the -engagement .under the reactive influenceof the v v 4 l y primary object is to provide a novellatch bolt, betweena part carried by thefbolt=supporting .member with a second keeper .or'bearing surface on thekeeper supporting member. n

its" preferred storm, the inv ntion contemplates a. keeper structure orassembly comprising spaced surnames, one oriwmoh may be inclined foren-,saeementiby the Bolt in its latched position. The

"bolt amlcam means is supportedby or containefo -v'vltliiii a casestructure, an outer portionoff which is receivet'lbetween-the; spacedkeeper sur races "and in a position to engage "t hi iba'lih'g surfaceopposite the lriclirled keeper; The case startingm advanceofboitrotationsome camtripping position. '39 virtur'e orthe-eam ui-gedsurisee to maintain the ease; structure against The invention will beunderstood to ,better' :22 adapted to [be received ibetween the keeper Yportionsls and I6 as the memloersllunand li'l'.aie-

brought together. The osseproi otionirz carries a oltvelemeiit,preieramty .the'fori'i'ibfamiiltiheaded bolt 23 rotatable on spin 1'2!terminating in "the case. .As illustrated, the case may be opened at251m provide memor es for the bolt rotation; The boltpis. actuated bysuitable eam means shown typically Ito comprise a pain mom.-

ber 26 pivotally movable inside fitlie fcaselon' 'pin 2'1, the cam beingurged-QQEiIQStQtI'iebolt'liy eon spring 28 supported at 29 (iii thelease. "Tli'cam m y' peretracteo from holdin relation to the bolt by asuitable manually controlled operator, such as an rms!) engageabl'e atShvitnthe .oa'm

v v g M snoesrrieoonspinole aito vvhiehm y been. desirably isadapted'toerigagethat bearingsurrace throughout a range "of relativemovement lies a handle 'hot shown, some outsideof the ease.

' 'i' "c n i erin he do fation or me mechanism. assume ,the parts' to bein .unlatohed nosinonaeno-me-eor veo end 2112 of .th;cs ,projeetiontoheve =-entereo the-keeper as ;.the members fill and H are broughttogether, mltisuy toytiie 15oscion or Big. Preferably the easesurface-3a retro-tight so a position o posite a position oneng'sgementwith bearing sorfsoelt of the edvaiitarerromsroliowine detailed 'descrip:gl k'sepr at or advance;;of*the+engs ement or the bolt along theinclined keeper l6 to a fully latched position, as shown in Fig. 3. Thecam action is such as to impart a strong wedging thrust against thebolt, and the reactive component of that thrust is transmitted to thecase projection 22 causing surface 33 to be pressed into tightengagement with the'bearing surface 45. As will be apparent, such tightinterengagement between the case projection and bearing surface existsat all positions in which the bolt is being urged in a latchingdirection by the cam. Also it will be further observed that followinginitial engagement of the bolt'with the keeper,

the case, has 'a reactive thrust against bearing surface by reason'ofthe resistance to bolt rotation imposedby the cam.

."I'claim;

1. A latchmechanism for securing together two Trela'tively movablemembers, comprising a case carried by a first one of said members, a

against; said bearin surface in the latchedv position 'Of'themechanism'by virtue of the cammed engagement of the bolt against saidkeeper surface.

12. A latch mechanism for securing together twojrelatively movablemembers, comprising a case carried by a first one of said members, a

' pivotally movable bolt supported by said case,

cam means for urging said 'bolt in a latching direction, spaced keeperand bearing surfaces carried by the second of said members and betweenwhich said case is movable as said members are brought together, saidkeeper surface being engageable by the bolt and the bolt being urged bysaid cam means against the keeper surface in the latched position of theparts, and said case being urged against said bearing surface in thelatched position of the mechanism by' virtue of the cammed engagement ofthe bolt a ainst said keeper surface.

3. A latch mechanism for securing together two relatively movablemembers, comprisingv a case carried by a'first one of said members, apivotally movable bolt supported by said case,

cam means for urging said bolt in a latching direction, spaced keeperand bearing surfaces carried by the second of said members and betweenwhich said case is movable as said members are brought together, saidkeeper surface being engageable by the bolt in difierent relativemembers by virtue of the cammed engagement of the bolt against saidkeeper surface.

4. A latch mechanism for securing together two relatively movablemembers, comprising a case carried by a first one of said members, apivotally movable bolt supported by said case, cam means supported bysaidcase and operable to urge said bolt in a latching direction, spacedkeeper and bearing surfaces carried by the second of said members andbetween which said case is movable as said members are brought together,said keeper surface being inclined and engageable by the bolt indifferent positions thereof while the bolt is being urgedby said cam inalatching direction, and said case being urged against said bearingsurface at said different position's'of the bolt by virtue of the cammedengagement of the bolt against said keeper surface.

.5. A latch mechanism for securing together two relatively movablemembers, comprising a case carried by a first one of said members, amovable bolt supported by said case, cam means forurging said bolt in alatching direction, spaced keeper and bearing surfaces carried by thesecond of said members and between which said case is movable as saidmembers are brought together, said keeper surface being engageable bythe bolt in different relative positions of said members while the boltis being urged by said cam against the keeper surface, and said casebeing urged against said bearing surface at said difierent relativepositions of the members by virtue of the cammed engagement of the boltagainst said keeper surface.

6. A latch mechanism for securing together two relatively movablemembers, comprising a case carried by a first one of said members, amovable bolt supported by said case, springpressed cam means for urgingsaid bolt in a latching direction, spaced keeper and bearing surfacescarried by the second of said members and between which said case ismovable as said members are brought together, said keeper surface beingengageable by the bolt within a first range of bolt movement in whichthe bolt is displaced against the resistance of said cam means andwithina second range of movement in which the cam means acts to urge the boltagainst the keeper surface, means forming on said first member a surfacethat is urged against said bearing surface during both said ranges ofbolt movement by virtue of the boltthrust against said keeper surface.

7. A latch mechanism for securing together two relatively movablemembers; comprisingl'a case carried by a first one of said members, amulti-headed bolt pivotally supported by said case, case-supported cammeans engageable with any of the bolt heads for urging said bolt in alatching direction, spaced keeperand bearing surfaces carriedby thesecond'of said members and between which said case. is movable as saidmembers are brought-together, said keeper surface being inclinedandeng'aged .by the bolt within a' first range of bolt movement in whichthe bolt is rotated against the resistance of said cam means and withina second range of movementin which the cam means acts to advance thebolt along the keeper surface, said case being urged against saidbearing surface duringboth said ranges of boltv movement by virtue ofthe bolt thrust against said keeper surface;

wmm-A..Eseme

